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Tuesday, October 6, 2015
(Philadelphia, PA) — On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, Muslim Americans from around Pennsylvania, responding to the increase of anti-Muslim hatred in the country, will converge on the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg for the first annual “Muslim Capitol Day.”
The Muslims will be joined by their Christian, Jewish, and other non-Muslim allies in a press conference and rally at 1:00 pm in the Capitol Rotunda to express the following points:
- Muslim Americans will not be intimidated into silence in the face of recent anti-Muslim and Islamophobic remarks by politicians and pundits, and will exercise their constitutional rights to fully participate in the American political process, including some day running for president.
- The insertion of anti-Muslim bigotry by two presidential candidates into mainstream political discourse, as well as such Islamophobic actions as the recent anti-Muslim ads on SEPTA buses, are anti-American. This open bigotry recalls other xenophobic campaigns – against African Americans, Catholics, and Japanese Americans, for example – from the often less than luminary episodes from our country’s sordid past.
- Islamophobia is not only an issue facing the Muslim community, but should be of concern for all Americans, especially in light of the nationwide anti-Muslim protests being planned for Oct. 10.
The schedule for Muslim Capitol Day is as follows:
10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Participants in Muslim Capitol Day will be meeting with their elected representatives and state officials to express the opinions of the Muslim community on a range of issues, including defending the rights of immigrants, supporting Syrian refugees, equal pay for women and men, addressing the climate change crisis, and others.
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm. Press conference and rally in the Capitol Rotunda: “In Solidarity with American Muslims.”
1:45 pm. Islamic prayer service in the Capitol Rotunda.
For further information, please contact:
Jacob Bender
Executive Director
CAIR Philadelphia
jbender@cair.com
(267) 515.6710
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Muslim Capitol Day is a project of the Pennsylvania Chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), the nation’s leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and a registered nonprofit 501(C)(3). Its mission is to: “Enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and understanding.”
